Didn’t They Ramble?

I had composed a long rant on the Saints’ loss to the Falcons; but after spending a couple days in reflection, I hadn’t the heart to post it. Sure, there was a lot to rant about: interceptions, dropped passes, whiffed blocks, whiffed tackles, bad clock management, and in general a complete lack of that “sense of urgency” that Drew spoke about so feelingly, so convincingly before actually, you know, taking the field. As a fan, I was hurt, incensed, affronted.

Still: that’s no reason for snark like “This game was brought to you by the letter L and the number 5. Was it?

I mean, why do we love the Saints? In actual fact, they’re just a bunch of guys working for—let’s face it—a pretty soul-less corporation, and getting paid beaucoup bucks even when they fail. Even when they fail epically. Why cheer for that? And why not let ‘em have it when they let us down?

Because they’re family, that’s why. Even if only by adoption, they’re still part of that strange entity that’s part blood, part habit, and part self-delusion, but which makes our lives larger and richer than they could have been by themselves. It’s fine for us to call Uncle Edgar a worthless souse and no gentleman, but no outsider had better let those words escape his lips in our company, or there will be consequences. Because Uncle Edgar…well, he is a worthless drunk, but he’s Uncle Edgar. So back off, pindick.

It’s the same with the Saints. I can say that Drew’s brain was farting like a Trabant running on coal oil, but then someone in a Rodney White jersey might overhear. It would give him occasion to snigger and just in general have a better day, and we wouldn’t want that.

No, decorum calls for a more somber approach, because in fact this is the end of the season, the funeral of our Lombardi hopes and our dreams of revenge against Darth Perfidious. Yeah, sure, maybe they’ll go 11-510-6 9-7 and still make the playoffs. Go ahead and believe that, if it makes the nights shorter for you. And maybe your parran left you his secret undermattress stash of Hubigs pies and vintage porn. Wanna bet?

Personally, I’m over it now. These things happen. All things must pass, and all that. Besides, there’s always next season. And besides, still, I refuse to believe until I see it happen (and I won’t, because it won’t) that the Falcons are a Super Bowl team. Because know what? To quote the estimable Rodney White:

“It wasn’t nothin they did.”

That Rodney, what an orator. But though he was wrong when he said it (we kicked your asses, Rodney), his words are applicable, in reverse, to this latest game. Because despite five interceptions from the highest-paid player in the entire NF of L, we still outplayed those lucky poseurs from the City Too Dumb To Be Ashamed. The Falcons’ defense didn’t force Jimmy Graham to throw a pointless block a second too soon. They didn’t force a wide-open Lance Moore to drop a sure scoring strike. They didn’t force Drew Brees to check the ball down in the middle of the field instead of throwing it away. And though they pretty much earned their turnovers and their sacks, all those plays still wouldn’t have been enough if the Saints—the real Saints—had actually showed up.

And they know it.

The Saints outplayed the Falcons all night after the opening drive. More yards, more first downs, better average gain, better 3rd down conversion rate. We even blew Atlanta out of the dome in time of possession, for pizza’s sake. All for naught, because at critical moments—and I’m not including any of the interceptions in this—the Saints failed to make the plays that the Falcons couldn’t stop them from making.

So, no. The Atlanta Falcons aren’t going anywhere in February. They’ll win the division and the first seed. They’ll get a bye, and then likely they’ll draw the Giants or the Bears in their first playoff game, and lose 56-3. Because that’s who they are. And Saints fans will mourn their stillborn season, and then get busy humping up a new one for next year and having a fine time doing so, because that’s who we are.

In the meantime, the bar’s open, and drinks are on the house. We’re all family here. What’ll ya have? Hey, no humping on the tables.

32 Comments

Please note: This Comments section is provided as a forum in which visitors may express themselves freely, as in any other public forum in
America. However, slanderous, threatening, abusive, or off-topic replies, or spam of any kind, are subject to deletion. (Threats, for that matter, will be promptly reported to the
proper authorities.) We also reserve the right to terminate user accounts at any time, at our discretion. Readers should not assume any endorsement by Who Dat Social Club of any opinion
or assertion of fact occurring in any comment (other than those generated as replies by the writers of Who Dat Social Club), or linked to by any comment. Having said all this: have at it,
and thank your forefathers for their wisdom in guaranteeing free speech, and Al Gore for inventing the Internet.

Awesome post; much better attitude than the first one. Frankly, I get worked up about a lot of things; but I’ve resolved myself to eliminating fucking football games from that assemblage of crackpot rantings. Actually, I’m trying to eliminate as many of the other crackpot rantings as possible. Life’s too short.

Odds are the Saints aren’t going to be playing in January. We can write off this season as a transitional period that presages great things next year – and really believe it, if we purge from our memories the six images of Brees passes nestling themselves in Falcons hands (yes, six; one was called back for a borderline Atlanta offsides penalty). The offense isn’t looking like the well-oiled machine it did last year; it’s going to need an improved defense to stay in games. That’s ok. We’ve all screamed for balance at one time or another. While prolific offensive production is fun to watch, so is a linebacker blowing up a running play in the backfield for a two-yard loss or a DT collapsing the pocket and falling on the QB like a to of bricks.

Now, the bit about the “undermattress stash of Hubigs pies;” that’s just nasty; especially when paired with a nearby stash of porn magazines. Ewww.

Well if you’re going to end our season by giving five interceptions to our arch-nemesis, it’s only fair that your personal td streak end as well.
I’m having scotch, if you please.
Not too distraught about missing the playoffs, because after learning 2009′s lesson of what it takes to win it all, I knew this team couldn’t go all the way. And that knowledge of what it takes gives me comfort knowing that Atlanta ain’t got it either. And since we’re only playing for rings from now on, and they are still playing for a measly playoff win, I’d prefer the better draft spot thank you very much.

and what player or players we might be able to pick up, and I was shocked to see that, at 5-7, the Saints currently sit 16th in the draft order. We have to pull for the Saints to lose all the rest of their games, and for every other team to win all the rest, or we get a middling position, without even the benefit of a second-rounder.

We can pretty much depend on getting just one starter out of the draft. So who should it be?

Enjoyed reading it. I’m somewhere in between “wait til next year” and “we’re still alive this year”!! Kinda feels like it’s about to be 1989 to me again. Season over, but a fun 3-0 run with Fourcade to enjoy in December.

But whatever happens, happens.

I’ll take a double Maker’s on the rocks, please. With some chili cheese fries. Early grave? Whatever.

Also, I don’t think the difference between 9-7 and 5-11 will actually get us that much better a player. I just don’t believe Pay-Loo’s first round pick track record merits that much energy put into jockeying for position. Sedrick Ellis @ #7 < Cameron Jordan @ # 24.

Some might say I'm kind of short-sighted and selfish right now (which may be to the detriment of the team's long-term prospects), but I think I'd rather enjoy a fun December and let the 2013 first round sort itself out later, and maybe this is a good topic for discussion.

What do you want for yourself and the Saints for the rest of 2012, and why? And be sure to jump on and attack others' choices to make for lively banter!!

I’d still like to beat the bucs. After that, lets just go for the draft.
We need the best pass rusher in the draft. Not the best pass rusher at our spot, but the consensus best pass rusher. They are every bit as hard to come by as an elite qb and just a little bit less important. With the rookie salary cap it wouldn’t cost much money to move up, just picks that we would waste anyway. And with our cap situation, we wouldn’t be able to get one in free agency. Not that there will be one in free agency anyway.

I don’t know if my drink has a name – but my 24 year old neice has got me into drinking cranberry sierra mist with vanilla vodka. “On the rocks” please – because that makes me sound like a big drinker.

I enjoyed your post. I’ve been one of those “insane, delusional #wegotthis 11-5, well ok 10-6, well…whatever we’re still gonna make the playoffs #storybook” optimists this season and the most difficult part for me is our own (and by “our” I mean “Drew’s”) part in our apparent demise. I guess I expected that if they didn’t give us the fairy tale, I could take comfort in the fact that they did everything they could to win – and they just didn’t get the breaks. Like the Green Bay game. And maybe that is still true.

I mean, I seriously doubt that Drew intented to throw 6 actual and 5 on record interceptions in a game as important as this one was – to our “most hated” division rival. I hardly think Lance “Circus Catch” Moore intended to drop a pretty much uncircus-like catch in the end zone. I’m convinced Jimmy didn’t mean to make a completely unnecessary block to wipe a touchdown we desperately needed away.

I chose to believe they could pull it off because for me, sitting around all week with every post and every comment harping on all the reasons why they CAN’T do it – just takes all the fun out of being a fan. Right now, I still kinda want them to run the table – just in case there are some upsets in Seattle’s future. (There is still a chance, right? ;) )

I had a dream Drew had a perfect game (literally) against the Giants and we blew them right out of the Meadowlands (I’m from NJ – it will always be the Meadowlands and the Garden State Arts Center – no matter what Met Life and PNC Bank have to say about it). Then everyone forgave him. Seattle lost every game they have left, so did everyone else and we slipped in at 9-7 and beat everybody!! Ok, I just made that last part up, but I did dream about the perfect game.

Sorry for rambling…CSC is giving me all kinds of fits now because I can’t upgrade my browser to keep up with all their spiffy new changes. I’m going through Who Dat withdrawal at the worst possible time. :(

Why not just cranberry juice instead of that fake stuff? Just curious.

I chose to believe they could pull it off because for me, sitting around all week with every post and every comment harping on all the reasons why they CAN’T do it – just takes all the fun out of being a fan.

I have to agree with that, and I hope your dream comes true. The defense is ramping up just as Drew seems to be wearing down. I think the problem is that he’s getting hit a lot right now, which makes him trigger-happy (it would me, I know that much). Hopefully, Zach Strief will be healthy for the next game. In the meantime, I hope that Drew develops some trust in his defense and doesn’t force the ball so much.

I don’t much like the new format at CSC either. It’s not rendering well, and I’m not a big fan of the way it looks. Oh, well.

Why not just cranberry juice instead of that fake stuff? Just curious.

Alright, but no teasing…for the bubbles. I do tend to walk tip-toe on the wild side.

You have a point about the hits – I tend to think it’s ok if he doesn’t get sacked, doesn’t always mean he didn’t get hit. I had a feeling Strief might have been back too soon, but then what do I know?

I don’t have cranberry anything. How about some Everclear? I can even put it on the rocks.

I quit CSC when the new changes came through. Doesn’t load properly in my browser of choice (hell, it doesn’t load at all, just activates that old spinner and plays with itself). I let Dave know it wasn’t him, or them, but just the site programming…but honestly, I think they f’ed up with the new design, too. I’m not an Enemy of the Scroll as a lot of people are, but I don’t like having to scroll halfway to Panama just to see what’s new on the home page.

I don’t have cranberry anything. How about some Everclear? I can even put it on the rocks.

Welp, I don’t know what Everclear is and I dont’ feel like googling right now but…hit me! I’m walking on the wild side, people. ;)

I haven’t been a Saints fan for long but I’ve spent all of it completely alone in my Brees/Colston love in a state and family full of Giants fans. Moving to DE didn’t help matters much. LOL Finding CSC and other Saints fans to talk to was such a gift. I just can’t let it go. Fortunately, I can use Google Chrome at home and that has really helped the way it looks. But overall, I just don’t like it and I find myself not getting as involved as I want to be.

How about cranberry juice, club soda (for the bubbles), a little simple syrup if the cranberry is too tart for you, and your vanilla vodka? I’ve started reading labels and eating healthfully in my middle years – and there’s nothing natural about Sierra Mist.

Because We Care

Subscribe

It's traditional in this space to assert exclusive rights over all content...but me, I don't much care. Share and share alike, and all that.
If you find something here you like, go ahead and make use of it. You're welcome.